This section provides background information relating to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.
A Small Cell Network (SCN) is considered as an efficient means in response to rapid increase of data traffic. In discussion of standardization of wireless communication, a new reference signal, a Discovery Reference Signal (DRS), is used to support a small cell on/off mechanism. In an off state of a small cell, a small cell base station transmits only a DRS.
Indoor positioning is one of focal points for the standardization of the wireless communication technology. The conventional Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA) technology is a technology mainly considered for the indoor positioning technology. Since enough accuracy cannot still be achieved by the OTDOA based on only a cell specific reference signal, a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) is introduced.
However, the small cell does not transmit a PRS in an off state. If the OTDOA is based only the PRS, it results in that when a great number of small cells are in the off state, a positioning accuracy of a user equipment is reduced and even the user equipment cannot be positioned.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new wireless communication technology solution, so as to improve the positioning accuracy and accelerate a positioning process.